Hi only me again.
I thought I would rant on today about a subject that’s close to my heart and happens to be in the news a bit at the moment too. That is one of the NHS or more specifically of the services such as Parking and Television & Phone charges.
I’m sure I probably mentioned it before in a previous blog about the extortionate Parking Charges at the Hospital. They charge a Minimum of £2.10 for 4 hours rising to around £6 I believe for up to 24 hours. As a rule it annoys me to pay each time I have to come back and fore the day unit and dentist and stuff, but at least then I can claim it back the same day as expenses due to the benefits I am on so it’s a sort of false payment really. When I’m an in patient though which you might have worked out by yourselves now is fairly often and usually quite lengthy it’s a different matter as the same service is not offered to Judith so she has to pay £2.10 each day she comes in to see me which is usually 6 days a week. It doesn’t make much sense that to me?? Surely if it is decided that due to our joint Low Income I am allowed to claim expenses such as parking and fuel costs etc, my wife who is on the same joint income as me OBVIOUSLY!!! Should be able too?????? The main problem at this particular hospital is that like a lot of others I guess they’ve sort of handed it over to a private company to manage and as a result they are obviously after a big profit margin. Across town in the same city the other Main Hospital currently has FREE PARKING for Disabled Badge Holders and all others pay just 80p although in saying that the last time I went up there they were in the process of handing that one over to same company as here so the prices won’t stay that way for long although I read in the news today the government are to announce that they will be advising hospitals to not make a profit from running car parking so things may change although I doubt it very much!!
This next one is just as big a scam too and that is the TV/Radio/Phone charges in here and around the country too as I’ve been reading. The service hear is being run by the dreaded Patientline and are coming in for some real stick in the press at the moment and bloody rightly so if you ask me. The TV is charged at £3.50 A DAY and the phone is charged as following, to make out going calls its 10p a minute but people ringing you are charged a whopping 49 a minute, daylight robbery. When I was first diagnosed, for a short spell I think of only a couple of weeks, Judith was unable to come in and see me due to her having a nasty cold she was ringing every day and the phone bill was something like £200 !!!!! How can they justify charging such a huge amount that’s like mobile rates, in fact it’s probably worse than them!! As far as the TV is concerned I did for a long time used to pay for the TV as to be honest there was no alternative to the boredom of having nothing to watch and the day room TV is as good as useless. A 3 inch screen is pretty hard to see though and you can see by the channel line up that its really aimed at the children and teenager with quite a few children’s channels which to be honest don’t really do a lot for me. Despite what some reports have said there is pressure put on the ward staff/management to not allow people to bring in TV’s etc and the only ones really allowed are for those patients undergoing Transplants as they are guaranteed a lengthy stay more often than not. They have however never said anything about bringing a Laptop in and as mine is now fitted with the super duper Freeview thingy I can give them my 2 finger salute usually reserved for those idiots who insist on parking in Disabled Parking Bays with no badge Grrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Scum Of The Earth!!!!! The thing that makes me laugh is that it was only about a fortnight ago I was hearing that Patientline were actually running at a loss ha ha ha so prices may have to rise Mmmmmmmm Good move I think not!!
God, I’m out of puff now after that little rant I better let you guys get back to reality and remember that a jab in the back of the ankles from a madly driven wheelchair hurts like hell, SO GET OUT MY BLINKING WAY!!!!!
See Ya!
3 comments:
you seem to think you're something special and above everyone else, just because you're in a wheelchair and on Income Support. Your rants and raves are useless and pathetic - just as it seems you are. How on God's-green-earth did you manage to somehow purchase a laptop if you are on benefits?? I think feeding you and your wife is a bit of a higher priority that going out and buying a laptop - or should i say getting a job should be your highest priority instead of scrounging off decent people trying to make a living. I know a large number of people with disabilities that are in meaningful jobs and i commend them highly for it, but people like yourselves who - i'm guessing ever since the day you were born - just kick their heels. And you seem to think you'se magically spited Patientline?? You said you paid for a week's worth of TV, so they've made roughly £25 off of you!! You've obviously spited them!
See you in hell
Well, what can I say about Mr anonymous's post??? I can only presume that he hasn't the ability to fully read previous posts to see what position you really are in.
I can truly sympathise with your experiences of Patientline and hospital car parking charges. I was in hopsital for 8 months in 2003 and my visitors shelled out an absolute fortune in car parking charges (that is until they were told there were monthly permits at a much reduced rate - not widely advertised though). Luckilly, Patientline wasn't in at the time so I didn't have the option to run up massive bills!
I was next in for 3 weeks in November 2005 when the hospital did have Patientline. Boy, did I spend some money!! Note - just for anonymous, I do work and am not scroungin off the state - does he??? :-)
Anyway, just thought I would say 'all the best' for the future and I hope things go well for you!
Thanks Philip for your comments. I knew about the parking permit thingy although as you quite rightly said they do not advertise the fact. the problem judith had when she used to come and visit was that she was driving a transit van due to work and you had to use the permit in the multi story car park which she couldnt get in. Hey 8 months is a bit of a stretch you must have been a naughty boy, just like me Ha Ha!!
See Ya!!
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